Bro Workshop - Blades » micarta

My first Friction Folder! A short story.

Stefano — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:08:44 +0000

Here it is my very first friction folder. A true love. With this friction folder I discovered the pleasure of simplicity, ease and performance. It is not so well made with today eyes but, I love it.
It was made with good old O2 carbon steel, that is something rusty, but cuts with ease with his scandi to zero bevel so you can sharpen also in the stones you find in country paths…
Maroon and white micarta made by me, full of small error. It was also like a Frankestein I discovered how and why sharpening, filing, grinding, screwing… Everything. Still works and serve.
Friction folders are magical because less you put into to build, the more they last!

It’s love, no doubt!

B-side Neckers

Stefano — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 08:41:02 +0000

Sorry for the crappy pics. I will post some better as soon as possible.
Made under specs of one friend of mine working for Law Enforcement.
They are neckers but can be as also as boot knife or side knives.
So that’s the way because we are still thinking about the sheat.

Blade is 7,5cm sharp (about 3″) D2 5mm (.20″) thick. Overall 17cm (6.7″).
Finish black-as-from-the-oven.
G10 and Black Canvas Micarta. Stainless fittings.
Will be sharpened just before shipping!

Hope you will like them!
Cheers!

Work In Progress – Small things

Stefano — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 11:49:53 +0000

Also from scrap steels there is a treasure.
Some scrappy are next to come and will began micro kiridashi, small screwdrives or whatever.

A sample here!

Work in Progress – Custom Neckers Update #1

Stefano — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 07:40:58 +0000

Here the picture of the custom neckers in D2, updated.Ready for the oven.

Notice the grinds on the spear pointed one. A small badass!

Both of them probably will be left in as-from-the-oven finish for the blade flats to ebhance the grindlines.

Work in Progress – Custom Neckers

Stefano — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:10:08 +0000

Some custom neckers based on a design made by a customer.

They are something like a small tanks, very sturdy and sharp.
These knives are 7,5cm (3″ about) blade and 8,5cm (3 1/2″) handles
The first one is in D2 steel, 5mm thick. Scandi grind.
The second one below is like above in size but 4,25mm D2 steel and will be grinded in sabre grind with a swedge.

The first one will be handled with canvas micarta, red spacers, stainless pins and tubing.
The second one probably with carbon fibers but still awaiting to new proposals.

Sheats probably in balck leather but there is chance to make them in Kydex.

Cheers.

Dirty Finger #01

Stefano — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:25:58 +0000

After some time here it is the first Dirty Finger from the Dirty Fingers project.
It is a small friction folder, in Red mycarta. Blade is 1095 carbon steel with a nice hamon, stainless teel hardware.
Blade is 5cm(2″) sharp, handle is 7,5cm (3″).

Small compact, yet very strong and an excellent cutter.

Hope you will like it. It’s sold…

D2 Bushcraft Custom

Stefano — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:38:24 +0000

Here it is a Bushcraft in D2 4,2mm thick steel, hardened to 58 HRC. Blade 12 cm flat with the spine in full thickness for optimum resistance. Overall 25 cm.
Red cotton and orange burlap micarta handmade by me also and three nickelsilver loveless rivet for added strength. I suppose this is a real tough to use. I made this handle scales thich and very rounded because the customer asked to me to do for that way. I suppose it was a really excellent way, because they are very confortable.

Handmade sheat with handmade stamps, the leather is tanned with a canyon tan and then finished with Resolene.

The Wasp

Stefano — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:31:30 +0000

Made in O2 steel polished to mirror finish.Brass tubing and pins.
My home made yellow-black damascus micarta, that you won’t find anywhere!

Size are in centimetres!

Hope you will like it.

Widower knife

Stefano — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:52:50 +0000

This one of my favourite knife ever made.

It sports a gorgeous black satin micarta handles, over a 8,5cm blade in O2 steel gun blued. It’s a run of two, but the first was missed.
It ‘s 18cm overall. Fits in the hand in a marvellous way and it takes a lot of care about me in making it.

Fits in the hand in a marvellous way and it took a lot of care about me in making it.

A sheat made for this knife, in blackened sturdy leather. Handstitched with double needle technique and decorated with handmade stamps.

Hope you will like it.

Cheers

My way of making micarta or composite materials for knifes

Stefano — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:51:35 +0000

My way of making Mycarta (Micarta is a trade mark) or a custom composite of your choice. You can use paper, tissue, canvas whatever to laminate and achieve stunning effects. Alays use every kind of protection for your eyes, lungs and every side of your body. Please do this work in a well ventilated areaor do it this work outside as me. Your safety is first. A safety mask is MANDATORY, also wearing a nice old stuff to protect you from winter wind. Ingredients: Various tissues, take care to cut something more the size you need. You need 5cm? Cut into strips of 7cm minimum. Disposable latex gloves, cutter, foil disposable container, someting stable to work over.

Wooden cramps, resins of your choice.

Other ingredients: an old heavy shirt used and abused, safety googles, a lot of gloves and MASK!

Optional a heavy hat when the winter snow is knocking at your door. Just kidding: not operate this work under 15°C or you can have the risk of not polimerizing the resin.

Wear two pairs of latex gloves. One is always with your hands, the other will be disposed after each work session, or before fastening with the cramps as I do.

Cutting some oiled paper, long just a bit more of the wood slab.

Wrapping the oiled paper on the wood slab. The aluminum container help me in taking off my clothes some resing when oozing out.

Stirring resin and hardener in the resin container as factory gave to me… I prefer to do this to avoid any problem as possible. And also, when I make micarta I do it in big quantity. If I realize for certain reasons to do some small quantity of resin, I use a bottle of sparkling water (sparking water bottles are stiffer…) and then I mix the requested amount or resin.

Very important: a nice one minute stir with an old micarta cutoff stick

First layer of resin just above the paper. Very important. Helps in sticking the first layer of tissue.

Pouring some resin…

I take a lot of care in pouring and spreading the resing. Leave always a thin film of reisn upon every tissue layer.

I use a lot of resin, it’s better to fill any hole of the tissue

Came on! Here you can see the thin layer of resin. Useful to stich the nextcoming layer of tissue.

I spread the dry tissue carefully. Some pression and some massaging to ooze out the air bubbles. I like the micarta has to be very tough and stiff. This helps.

Here another layer of tissue: it has to be never sloppy or limp. Well?

Let’s go to make the tissue brick until the end of the layers.

I was laughing under the mask. Who made this pictures is my beloved girl and she’s having some cold…

Take off every single hair from tissue. It’s better. It’s annoying I know, but it saves your material. You see my shirt dirt? It so because resin and tissue hairs are sticked on.

The spreading is over. I finished all the layers. Now I wrap with the remainig oiled paper the layers, as a salame.

Take care and ply flat without any bubble. If possible do some pression. Some resin will pour off the sides. It’s okay

Here the other wood slab. Checking for exact alignment is better.

First of all I put a cramp on the center of the slab, tighting not too much

Left side cramp…

Right side cramp. Now I’m tigheting all the cramps to give uniformity in thickness. NOt too overtight or the resin can pour off leaving the tissue almost dry. Just tighting hard but not allow the blood to spill from your veins!

The last check for thickness. Better to do this now rather than with the grinder later!

Another Check… and some more tightening

Today work session.

Hope this will help to make your custom composite of your choice. you can experiment with paper, tissue, canvas, linen, cotton, carbon fiber, ecc. Use always good quality resins and tissues. Safety first and ahve fun! Cheers! Stefano